Dangerous Assumptions
by wombat-of-awesomeness
Summary: First impressions are dangerous things to trust. In this case, they might even be deadly. Pride and Prejudice in the Hunger Games universe.


As it turns out, befriending a Capitol reporter who happens to be visiting your district is a very smart thing to do.

Eliza will have to remember to thank Jane for that later.

Jane and Eliza board a train the day after Charlie offers to let them come stay with him, leaving their younger sisters behind them.

The youngest, Lydia, cries in jealousy when they leave. But Eliza doesn't feel remorse. After all, Lydia is the baby of the family, she doesn't know what it feels like to starve.

All at once, the two sisters from District 10 are in the Capitol, having dinners with the men and women who decide the fate of 24 children every year.

Eliza feels sick.

* * *

As it turns out, not every citizen of the Capitol is exactly how Eliza thought they would be.

Charlie, who is graciously allowing Eliza to stay in his home even though it's obvious he only has eyes for her sister, seems kind enough.

And the boy who travels with his father from District 2 to visit the Capitol, George, is both charming and witty.

(As it turns out, his own sister was killed years ago in the Games.)

Only Charlie's friend, the victor, treats Eliza like she is below him.

And of course he would, Will had been reaped from District 1, a life in the Capitol was his dream. Silly girls from a farming District shouldn't be part of his life.

* * *

Charlie sits her next to Will every night at dinner.

Eliza stares into his eyes and she feels exactly what she wants to feel—hatred.

This was the man who had systematically had all of his fellow tributes killed. This was the victor who had beaten the Hunger Games faster than anyone else ever had.

Hell, this was the monster that had seen poor George's sister starve to death while he himself feasted in the Capitol.

Yes, Eliza will never do anything but despise Darcy, for he deserves nothing else.

* * *

Things change.

Suddenly Lydia is in the Games, and so is George.

And the two become allies and for a second Eliza allows herself to breathe a sigh of relief.

Because George wouldn't let anything happen to Lydia, Eliza knows that. He'd kill himself before he killed her.

Except he wouldn't, and George is putting something in Lydia's water, and no, it can't be poison, it _can't _be.

But it is, and George walked away from her baby sister's dying form hours ago.

Lydia is having trouble breathing now.

Eliza is about to walk away from the screen completely, (damn the mandatory viewing laws, her sister is dying) when a silver parachute lands in front of Lydia's hand.

Then Lydia is using her remaining strength to plunge a needle into her arm, and it's the antidote, it's got to be.

The commentators verbalize Eliza's wildest dream and Lydia is going to be alright.

(Or at least, as alright as someone can be in the Hunger Games)

* * *

Lydia is just now regaining her strength and the girl who killed George just got torn apart by the muttation heading for Lydia's camp.

But she was the last one, and Lydia is alive.

And Lydia gets to go home.

* * *

Lydia is back at home in District 10 and she's shaken but alive.

It's not until a few days later that Jane points out the obvious truth that Eliza had missed.

Will had been friends Lydia's mentor.

Will had helped save Lydia's life.

And if the news reports were anything to go off of, he had paid for every drop of that antidote himself.

(Maybe the monster did have a heart)

* * *

She's back at work, she writes for Capitol newspapers now.

(It turns out having a sister as a victor increased one's employment opportunities in the Capitol)

She realizes that she can't call Will a monster anymore.

After all, if he's a monster, then Lydia is too.

* * *

She thanks him for saving her sister.

He nods wordlessly.

Awkward silence ensues.

* * *

The next day he asks her to accompany him to a charity dinner.

She accepts.

* * *

**A/N: This is kind of odd, I know. **

**Please review if you have time.**


End file.
